Born in
Sidcup, Colvin was educated at
Trent College and
University College London. In 1948, he became a Fellow of
St John's College, Oxford, where he remained until his death in 2007. He served on several bodies including the
Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (1963–76), the
Historic Buildings Council for England (1970–84), and the
Royal Fine Art Commission (1962–72). His
Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600–1840 was first published in 1954.
Yale University Press produced the third edition in 1995, and he had just completed work on the fourth edition at the time of his death. On publication it was hailed as groundbreaking; it "changed the face of English architectural history", according to historian
David Watkin. The dictionary only includes buildings where an architect’s name can be linked through documentary evidence, reflecting Colvin’s opposition to stylistic attributions. The prefatory essay, "The Practice of Architecture, 1600–1840", analysed both the building trades and the architectural profession, contributing to the wider social history of
Britain. He also served as general editor and contributor to the official multi-volume ''The History of the King's Works'', published between 1963 and 1982. Colvin also influenced policy: he chaired the committee of
English Heritage responsible for Britain’s
built environment, and in 1984 he led a campaign that persuaded
Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson to amend the Budget in order to save
Calke Abbey for the nation. ==Honours==